Potato prices worry farmers

Farmers in Mulanje, one of the country’s major potato growing districts, have complained against the low price their produce is fetching on the market.

In separate interviews when sweet potato breeders from over 15 countries meeting in Blantyre toured markets, potato fields and value-addition groups in the district last week, the farmers blamed intermediate buyers who are buying potatoes three times lower than last year.

A potato seller at Chinakanaka market, Martin Kachere, said a bag of potatoes is selling at K1 800 down from last year’s K6 000.

“It is unfair, since we have to hire people to dig up potatoes, put them in bags and transport them to the market,” lamented Kachere, from Maselema village several kilometres away from the market.

Concurring with him, another farmer, Jimmy Khomeliwa, said intermediate buyers from major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and some Mozambican border towns are ripping them off.

“We wish we had the means to hire cars to take our potatoes to town on our own, but that is difficult since during harvest time, we have no money,” he said.

Several farmers attributed the low prices to increased production of sweet potatoes to heavy rains during the last growing season to abandon traditional maize and opt for potatoes.

Ministry of Agriculture deputy director for research for horticulture, Felistus Chipungu, agreed that increased production is one factor causing prices to go down.

“We are aware of the low prices and right now we are negotiating with food processing companies to buy potatoes. They have their own needs and specifications.

“We are also encouraging farmers to add value to their produce. Some are making a killing by selling doughnuts, buns, juice and other products from potatoes,” he said.

There are no minimum prices for sweet potatoes in the annual farm-gate prices government sets every year.